Mainstreaming Mobile Learning

What does this all mean for mobile learning?

It appears that while the self-evident value of mobile learning is staring learning designers in the collective face, the adoption of mobile learning is meandering through the enterprise learning landscape, still searching for the “killer application” that makes the value of learning mobility obvious and self evident to all. There seems to be consensus that one of the ideal applications for mobile learning revolves around providing performance support tools at the point directly in the workflow where they are needed. (See Figure 3.)

It is this consensus that provides just enough motivation and attention for learning designers to develop proof-of-concept applications and demonstration projects to help prospective stakeholders imagine what their future might look like with easy-to-access, easily-configured, rich, interactive learning experiences at the tips of one's fingers. There continues to be a perception that performance support and productivity enablement, where m-Learning seems to be quite strong, is not quite the same thing as “learning,” which means that one of the ironic challenges of the current era is making sure that those of us who design learning experiences remember that performance support is, in fact, a learning intervention.

Figure 3 Development of m-Learning content revolves around providing performance support and information, where needed and when needed in the workflow

Clearly, there is significant interest in exploring possibilities, as demonstrated in the number of Guild members who have said that they want to give mobile learning a shot in the next year. (See Figure 4.) Clearly, there are innovators leading the charge with pilot programs and targeted implementations, as evidenced by the case studies that accompany the survey results. We see from case reports and customer success stories that there are learning enterprises in industry, government, and education making significant progress in demonstrating the value of linking people with ideas, information, and each other no matter where one might be, and on whatever device one might choose. Even so, the easy addition of mobile learning to the broad menu of technology-mediated learning options will continue to be elusive until many of the device, infrastructure, organizational culture, and perceptual problems resolve, and value propositions align.

Figure 4 Intentions and m-Learning plans for the next 12 months, as reported to The eLearning Guild Research

Those of us who have been observing, evangelizing, working with, or speculating about value and benefits of mobile learning for the past number of years, have found that we generally have a central point of agreement. We all acknowledge that mobile learning is a many-splendored thing that has the potential to truly rock our professional practice. From there, the discussion may range from the power of the processor or the size of the screen, or we may debate at length whether a laptop computer counts as a mobile learning device. It is understandable that mobile learning will need to go through a phase of debate and experimentation, since the tools, techniques, applications, and methodologies used to create mobile learning experiences are relatively new, and we are all just learning what works and what doesn’t. A growing number of pilot programs are resulting in a small but growing number of performance benchmarks, and are starting to establish effective guidelines for successful mobile learning implementations

Our use of scientific inquiry seems to demand that we isolate each new “flavor” of learning that emerges on the learning-technology innovation scene, rather than look at each intervention or modality as an ingredient in a rich collection of strategies, tactics, techniques, and tools used to support learning across an entire enterprise. This seems true regardless of whether it’s e-Learning, m-Learning, v?Learning (virtual worlds), g-Learning (games), or even, recently, c-Learning (collaboration).

Of course, for empirical explorations to take place in reliable and repeatable ways, research and experimentation in deploying new innovations is only one way to gather the data that the rest of us need to evaluate whether or not a new innovation will serve the needs of our individual enterprises. The good news is that, as innovators dive deeply into each new variety of learning, we all benefit from the results of those specialized explorations.

The better news is that as the results of these specialized explorations are integrated into the broader framework of enterprise learning, the more likely we are able to balance the new, exciting, and innovative developments of our practice with the tested, tried, and already adopted practices that drive much of our current enterprise learning operations.

Balancing innovation and adoption: crossing the chasm

Advocates of mobile learning should be mindful that it has diffused its way into general practice in a reasonably predictable way, as is the case of every single innovation that is adopted by a mass market. Industry consultant Lance Dublin reminds us, over and over again, to remember that change is difficult for individuals AND enterprises, and points us to reflect upon advice from leading change specialists such as Everett Rodgers and Geoffrey Moore. For the 2.5% of us who are innovators, the realization that others aren’t as excited by the screamingly obvious value of m?Learning is the fuel that continues to inspire us to push the envelope of implementation. It provides us with the motivation to persuade the 13.5% of us who are early adopters that it may be worthwhile to give this m-Learning thing some serious consideration.

But simply engaging the interest and attention of e-Learning adopters isn’t sufficient for true enterprise adoption. The greatest challenge we face is figuring out how build the bridges we need to cross that great chasm between the e-Learning adopters and the early majority of innovation adopters that populate our companies, schools, agencies, and communities.

M-Learning may be the living laboratory for figuring out what technologies can do to engage learners, enable new capabilities, and inspire creative thinking where learning and performance support is concerned. The practices that support mobile learning may then serve as the enterprise foundation upon which we learning designers will ultimately build solutions that inspire the 34% of us who live in the realm of the early majority of enterprise adopters to think bigger and more creatively. Then we may ultimately provide even those members of late majority organizations to eventually see value in providing anytime, anywhere access on whatever device one chooses.

Will we eventually find ourselves, while waiting for a train or plane, taking advantage of our mobile connectedness to complete an online course on our mobile phones, as Howard predicted in 2007, or breezing in to participate in Webinars and online mentoring sessions? On the other hand, will we be more likely to watch “mobi-sodes” of our favorite instructional videos, play interactive games over the public Web, or complete immersive compliance training over the company intraverse? The answers to these questions will ultimately depend on how we balance our fascination with the latest and greatest, with designs, strategies, and tactics that will enable true, sustainable change in behavior, knowledge, opinion, and culture.

Resources

Gray, B. and Silva, C. (2008) Key device trends that will shape mobility in 2008. Forrester Research Inc.

Howard, C, (2007) m-Learning: The latest trends, development and real-world applications. July 2007 Bersin Associates

IBM Institute for Business Value (2008) cited in Gardiner, W. D (2008) I want my mobile TV. Information Week, p. 20, May 28, 2008

Moore, G. (1991) Crossing the Chasm. New York: Harpercollins.

Pelino, M, Daley, E. and Muhlhausen, R. (2008). Inquiry Insights: Enterprise Mobility, Q1 2008. Forrester Research

Silva, C., Yates, S. Whiteley, R. Dines, R., and Batiancila, R. (2007) The Rise of Ubiquitous Mobility. Forrester Research Inc.

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